Apple HomePod Smart Speaker

Metascore

TechSpot Metascore

Excellent:

5

Good:

8

Average:

5

Bad:

4

The HomePod is a remarkable new kind of audio device. It does more to make music sound better than any other speaker of this kind has ever done before, and it really, truly works. But unless you live entirely inside Apple’s walled garden and prioritize sound quality over everything else, I think you’re better served by other smart speakers that sound almost as good and offer the services and capabilities that actually fit your life.

Expert reviews and ratings

With the HomePod, we're really reviewing two things at once: a premium speaker and a smart home hub. In the former category, the HomePod is excellent, with amazing sound and incredibly intuitive set-up. But in the latter Siri is only middling in its implementation, and the fact that you're not able to break out of the Apple ecosystem for many key functions also rankles.

HomePod is tough to recommend, even to Apple enthusiasts, in its current state. Fortunately, HomePod's woes are related to software and services, so there's nothing wrong with it that can't be addressed in future software updates.The HomePod is...

In a way, the HomePod is a remarkably pure machine: it's meant to make your music sound great, and that's about it. Viewed purely through that lens, the HomePod is a fantastic first attempt and one that delivers on its promise. Taken as a whole, though,...

With HomePod, Apple is entering a big race after its competitors have already completed several laps. Amazon and Google have been iterating on their smart speaker hardware and software solutions for a couple years and have already sold tens of millions...

Smart speakers have been growing in popularity not only thanks to their functionality and intuitive integration in a smart home environment, but also with their reasonable pricing. Most of the popular ones, like the Amazon Echo and Google Home, have...

Apple has made an astonishingly good speaker. They've made a great voice-controlled speaker, too. Question is, have they made a great smart speaker?There I'm not so convinced, at least as HomePod exists today. If you're looking for a fantastic Apple...

HomePod is wonderful. It's sounds great and is about as simple and easy as you can get. You can set up HomePod in about a minute and start listening to music before you even have time to throw away the wrapper it came in. There is no muss and no fuss —...

If you're an Apple fan and music lover and your home is already filled with Home-compatible tech, then the HomePod is likely top of your wish-list. And rightly so, because this is one seriously pumped-up speaker. As far as audio quality goes, you won't...

After listening to the HomePod, I have no doubt that Apple made an impressive-sounding smart speaker. Unfortunately for Apple, Google and Amazon have already set the bar for what a smart speaker can do, and in that respect, the HomePod falls far behind....

Ahh, the $499 question!If you live alone, are deep in the Apple Ecosystem, use Apple Music and love music – hell yes!For those of us with families or partners, then the lack of user profiles is a real bust, but not enough to stop you buying it – no way....

The HomePod is a remarkable new kind of audio device. It does more to make music sound better than any other speaker of this kind has ever done before, and it really, truly works. But unless you live entirely inside Apple’s walled garden and prioritize sound quality over everything else, I think you’re better served by other smart speakers that sound almost as good and offer the services and capabilities that actually fit your life.

With its access to Reminders, Notes and Messages, HomePod was able to add some functionality, but for me its number one job is as an amazing music speaker. HomePod is smart, it looks great, and it sounds incredible. I don’t know what else you would want in a home smart speaker.